Water soluble phenolic-formaldehyde polymer which is a surfactant mobility control agent in oil recovery

Abstract

Certain water-soluble substituted phenol formaldehyde type copolymers retain their viscosities in high brine environments and are highly useful as surfactant-mobility control agents in oil recovery processes.

I claim: 
     
       1. A process for manufacturing water-soluble polymers that thicken water comprising the following general reaction: ##STR3## R is alkyl having from about 1 to 30 carbon atoms or aryl or alkylaryl, x is 100 to 1000 and y is 2 to 10.   
     
     
       2. The process of claim 1 in which R is alkyl. 
     
     
       3. The process of claim 2 in which R is C 9  H 19 . 
     
     
       4. A polymer produced by the process of claim 1. 
     
     
       5. The polymer of claim 4 in which R is alkyl. 
     
     
       6. The polymer of claim 5 in which R is C 9  H 19 . 
     
     
       7. The polymer of claim 4 in which said polymer has a molecular weight of from about 10,000 to 10,000,000. 
     
     
       8. The polymer of claim 4 in which said polymer has a molecular weight of from about 50,000 to 5,000,000.